Reliability, what owners report, and what it costs to keep.
AVOIR's read: a solid ownership case with specific caveats below.
Owners have filed 105 complaints with NHTSA about the 2015 Ford Flex, and it carries 4 recalls. These are owner allegations rather than confirmed defects, but the pattern of what people complain about is the most useful signal a used buyer has.
| Area | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Back over prevention | 24 | 23% |
| Steering | 16 | 15% |
| Fuel/propulsion system | 12 | 11% |
| Unknown or other | 11 | 10% |
| Suspension | 7 | 7% |
| Electrical system | 6 | 6% |
| Power train | 5 | 5% |
| Power train | 3 | 3% |
| Visibility/wiper | 2 | 2% |
| Steering | 2 | 2% |
Verbatim from NHTSA complaint records, trimmed for length.
The contact owns a 2015 Ford Flex. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V695000 (Back Over Prevention). The contact stated that while in reverse(R) on several occasions, the rear-view camera scre
NHTSA complaint: Back over prevention
UNKNOWN The rear camera (when available) is UPSIDE DOWN! At night, the image also has wide lines running through it. Sometime, the camera just shows a message that it is unavailable. So FRUSTRATING!
NHTSA complaint: Unknown or other
The contact owns a 2015 Ford Flex. The contact stated that upon reversing the vehicle the rearview camera display would display upside down and then display blank and no warning lights were illuminated, however the follo
NHTSA complaint: Back over prevention
The contact owns a 2015 Ford Flex. The contact stated that while reversing, the rear-view camera was blank. There was no warning light illuminated; however, the message was "Camera not Available - Please Contact your Dea
NHTSA complaint: Back over prevention
Rear view camera under recall. Told by Ford for 3 months in a row that should receive paper in mail for recall repair. Have not received paper. Very dangerous backing up.
NHTSA complaint: Electrical system
Rear Camera no working. This Ford recall has been out for 3 years now and we still cannot get a remedy for our vehicle!
NHTSA complaint: Unknown or other
Rear (Backup} camera malfunctioning. Recall 25V6595. Two (2) Dealers state that there is no recall (Fritt's Ford, Raceway Ford Riverside Ca). VIN [XXX] This is ongoing. There was no accident. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUAN
NHTSA complaint: Visibility/wiper
The contact owns a 2015 Ford Flex. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V695000 (BACK OVER PREVENTION); however, the part to do the recall repair was unavailable. The local dealer was contacted,
NHTSA complaint: Back over prevention
NHTSA lists 4 recall campaigns for the 2015 Ford Flex. Recalls are free to have fixed at a franchised dealer regardless of who owns the car now, but only if they were never done, so check the VIN of the specific car rather than trusting the model.
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain model year 2013-2015 Ford Taurus, Ford Flex, Lincoln MKS and Lincoln MKT vehicles equipped with 3.5L GTDI Ecoboost engines and 2013-2015 Ford Taurus Police Interceptor vehicles. A component within the fuel pump electric module (PEM) may overheat causin
Risk: A loss of power to the fuel pump will cause the engine to stall or prevent the vehicle from starting, increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: Ford will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the fuel PEM part number and replace the fuel PEM, as necessary, free of charge. The recall began on December 1, 2016. Owners may contact Ford custo
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain model year 2015 Ford Taurus, Ford Flex, and Lincoln MKS vehicles manufactured May 4, 2015, to May 23, 2015, Lincoln MKT vehicles manufactured May 4, 2015, to May 21, 2015, and 2015-2016 Ford Explorer vehicles manufactured May 4, 2015, to May 23, 2015. T
Risk: If the parking brake does not fully engage and the transmission is left in a gear other than 'Park' while on a slope, the vehicle may roll away, increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: Ford will notify owners, and dealers will test the operation of the parking brake system, and if necessary, replace the parking brake control assembly, free of charge. The recall began on September 4,
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2013-2018 Lincoln MKT and Ford Flex and Taurus vehicles with the Police Interceptor or SHO Performance Pack. The rear suspension toe links may fracture due to stress on the rear suspension.
Risk: A fractured rear toe link will cause a sudden change in vehicle handling and increase the risk of a crash.
Fix: Ford will notify owners, and dealers will replace the rear suspension toe links, free of charge. Remedy parts are not currently available. Owners were notified about the recall on March 3, 2020. A
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2015-2019 Flex, 2015 Explorer, Lincoln MKT, Lincoln MKZ, 2015-2016 C-Max, Escape, Taurus, 2016 Fusion, 2018-2019 Taurus, 2019 Lincoln MKT, Fiesta, and 2020 Mustang vehicles. The rearview camera may display a distorted, intermittent, or blank image wh
Risk: A rearview camera that fails to properly display an image can reduce the driver’s view behind the vehicle, increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: Dealers will inspect and replace the rearview camera as necessary, free of charge. This will be a phased campaign, with the remedy becoming available in different phases based on model and model years
| Reliability raw | 66 | good |
|---|---|---|
| Longevity est. | 72 | good |
| Maintenance | 69 | good |
| Depreciation | 100 | excellent |
| Performance | 67 | good |
| Efficiency | 36 | below average |
Percentile ranks against other SUVs in the catalog.
What stands behind each score for this car:
Owners have filed 105 complaints with NHTSA for this model-year, and back over prevention is the most reported area with 24 of them (23%). There are 4 recalls on record. Check any specific car against its VIN before buying.
AVOIR scores its reliability 66/100 (good) from NHTSA recall campaigns and complaint density. That figure is a raw complaint count, not yet adjusted for sales volume, so a high-volume model scores worse than it deserves.
AVOIR scores its longevity 72/100, but that figure is an estimate built from the powertrain and the brand's record, not a measurement. A 2015 car has no 200,000-mile population to observe yet, so treat it as a prior rather than evidence.
AVOIR's read: worth a look, because a solid ownership case with specific caveats below. Its overall ownership score is 70/100. Condition, mileage and service history still matter more than any score, so get a pre-purchase inspection on the specific car.
Sources: NHTSA recalls and complaints, EPA fuel economy, IIHS awards, and live market listings. A score describes a model-year, not the individual car in front of you. Get a pre-purchase inspection.